It has been a pleasure to review this beautiful and informative book by Enza Milanesi, who has successfully taken the study of carpets into the realms of stimulating and delightful reading. The book itself is beautifully produced, from the classic sophistication of the jacket through to the glossy monochrome pages which enhance the colour photography and line illustrations of these richly woven textiles, while some pages are just ablaze with colour. The text is well produced and varies in size, layout and font, always easily readable and well designed. As well as colour photographs, there are graphics and diagrams to highlight individual and significant design motifs and overall pattern, and because of the size of the book (slightly larger than A4), these are concisely and appropriately well arranged. They also draw the reader into a more detailed analysis and better appreciation of the craftsman’s decorative work and technique, as well as focussing on the distinction of design between one geographical area and another.
Enza Milanesi is an Italian art historian and respected scholar in the field of oriental and Western carpets. This book examines the history, materials, craftsmanship and production of carpets in an accessible way which reflects the specialist knowledge and general expertise of an author at ease with, and delighting in, her subject. The book is in two parts, the first is a general introduction to the history and cultural background of the carpet and its production. The second part is divided into the main geographic areas of production also divided into two parts, an historical stylistic analysis, and a photographic catalogue and study of a representative selection of carpets from each area. The book concludes with a list of museums where carpets can be seen; a glossary (a kilim is a flat‐weave rug with no pile); and a bibliography.
Although there are doubtless more specialist works and studies which range beyond the 200 carpets chosen here, I doubt there is a book to convey with greater clarity and charm the combination of technical, aesthetic and cultural information displayed here. It is a refreshing and extremely useful addition to our own, comparably staid and dull textile reference collection, and certainly fulfils its aim “to inform as well as captivate” the reader.
